Canadian hockey fans get a lesson in ‘framing the issue’ every time any network plays a 1991 playoff game between the Calgary Flames. Why? They run the damned Theo Fleury overtime goal from game 6 (Sunday April 14) instead of the Esa Tikkanen overtime goal from Game 7 (Tuesday, April 16). It’s completely ridiculous, but I see the Fleury goal 50 times a year, and have to play my CD to see the Tikkanen goal (and I do, while laughing like an idiot). This kind of unfair play is duly noted in my home and I hope it is in your home, too. Fair is fair, jackasses!

The Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings (and Gretzky’s Oilers Pacific) in the second round, the sixth and deciding game put to bed by Craig MacTavish in overtime (another obscure piece of video). The Minnesota North Stars, in those wonderful uniforms, ended the run in five games during the Campbell Conference Finals. Mark Messier scored the final goal of his Oilers career in the final period he would play for Edmonton, assists to Glenn Anderson (fittingly) and Craig Simpson. The Messier Oilers were powerful, vicious, talented and determined. The man was a rock on skates and I miss this team because of him most of all. Box scores are here.

(SHOTS) LINES AND PAIRINGS (PLAYOFFS)

Patrick Maroon (10); Connor McDavid (8); Leon Draisaitl (1)

The line has just one goal (McDavid SH) and one assist (McDavid PP) through four games. Corsica.hockey tells us this trio is over 50 percent Corsi for 5×5 (97 is 52%) but in the 40s on the Fenwick scale. Far too soon to have any real value, but I pass it along because it’s there. Maroon’s 10 shots in four games is a solid number, Leon needs to shoot more. If this line can’t get it going, it behooves Todd McLellan to change up the lines pdq.

Milan Lucic (3); Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (13); Jordan Eberle (6)

This line has one goal (Lucic PP) and two assists (Lucic, Eberle, both at evens) through four games. Not good enough, but this trio should remain together. A total of 22 shots in four games is a solid number for a 2line. All three men are over 50 percent Corsi for 5×5 through these playoffs so far and would be (imo) a fairly easy choice for top performing line.

Drake Caggiula (3); Mark Letestu (12); Zack Kassian (9)

This line has two goals (Kassian SH and Kassian EV) two assists (Letestu PP and SH) the next mayor of our town (Kassian). The shot total over four games is strong, but Letestu gets PP time and that skews things a little. Still, the 3line has 24 shots and that leads all lines. Impressive.

Benoit Pouliot (4); David Desharnais (1); Anton Slepyshev (3)

This line has no points and are hovering in the mid-40’s in possession. I like both wingers, and Desharnais clearly has enough skill to get some good opportunities in the offensive end. The other options available to Todd McLellan (Iiro Pakarinen, Matt Hendricks, Jujhar Khaira, Joey Laleggia, Anton Lander) may see playing time in the coming games.

October 5, 2013: The Oklahoma City Barons play the Charlotte Checkers in an American Hockey League game at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Photo by Rob Ferguson, all rights reserved.

PAIRINGS (SA per 60)

Oscar Klefbom (22.21); Adam Larsson (26.17)

This tandem is performing better at shots against per 60 5×5 compared to the regular season. Oscar Klefbom (29.30) and Adam Larsson (29.77) are both more efficient so far against the Sharks compared to all year against all 29 teams. Oscar Klefbom has an even strength goal (the first of the series) which represents the only offense from this pairing so far in the postseason.

Andrej Sekera (34.16); Kris Russell (35.00)

Sekera (27.93) and Russell (28.00) were far more effective during the regular season than they are currently.

Darnell Nurse (27.36); Matt Benning (20.63); Eric Gryba (21.71)

Nurse is tracking better than his regular season (32.89), Benning (27.81) is also miles ahead compared to his (impressive) regular season numbers. Gryba (31.52) has been more effective using this method of measurement compared to the regular season. As above, sample size is not close to good enough, but we are discussing early trends.

There’s a lot of story to cover in this series, and tonight is a pivotal game. The San Jose Sharks delivered a massive body blow in Game 4 and we don’t know if the Edmonton Oilers can answer back. The club seems completely undisciplined and are not responding well to the Sharks disdain (San Jose veterans don’t respect the Oilers, likely due to years of hammering them into little pieces). Respect must be earned, and a win tonight would go a long way toward earning that respect.

OILERS TONIGHT

For me, the key tonight will be discipline. Edmonton has shown very little ability to learn from their own penalties during this series and that may be the most alarming part of the enterprise. I understand the concern over 5×5 scoring, but history tells us that will begin to flow at some point in time (although in a short series, “some point in time” could be October).

I predict a loss tonight if the Oilers can’t stay out of the penalty box. Edmonton could win this evening without 5×5 goals, but the club can make life easier for itself if two goals cash in the discipline. There is genuine concern (for me) about the health of 97’s linemates, and Todd McLellan should not hesitate to shuffle the winger deck in order to get things done. If San Jose gets a lead, flushing the fourth line should also be an option (depending on how they are playing).

If McLellan draws on some smoking aces, one hopes we see Lander but one suspects it will be Matt Hendricks.

Oilers have won the last ten games I've attended at Rogers Place, dating back to Valentine's Day. Coincidence? Probably. Going tonight, tho.

Whatever you’ve done on game winning nights, you have to do it this evening. If it’s cooking a turkey, haul ass to the turkey store. If it’s drinking Freshie, giddyup. I’ll be cleaning the gutters again after 5pm tonight because that’s the job, man!

MCDAVID

Tonight is a lot about McDavid, of course every Edmonton game is a lot about 97. The Sharks have wiggled their way inside the Oilers collective, with predictable results. Young teams take time to adjust to shifting sands, an example being the way officials are calling these games.

If you check the comments section of this blog over the last few games, there are countless examples of frustration over the uneven refereeing. “There’s no way this is even” or “the Oilers are being judged on a different scale” can be heard over and over again.

You’re right. Them’s the facts. Veteran teams get the calls, upstarts get the shaft. It was like that when I started watching NHL hockey in the 1960s and it’s been that way since. The young Oilers are on the verge of losing a series learning that lesson. It’s happened before.

My money’s on McDavid finding a way. You?

LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE

A fun, developing show today! TSN1260, starting a 10, here we go:

Bruce McCurdy, Cult of Hockey. Oilers with the biggest game in franchise history since Tuesday.

Frank Seravalli, TSN. Sabres blow out their management team.

10-1260 text @Lowetide on twitter. Hell’s a popping!

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Professor Q: Tikkanen tweeted out his OT goal against Calgary before OT started.

Nice.

I was thinking about a guy being in the dog house before scoring a huge goal, though Klima was truly deep in the dog house (hadn’t played at all in OT before scoring the winner in OT3 I believe). DD has been there recently, but was playing pretty well tonight.

Such a good win. Team and fans alike needed that. Oilers absolutely crushed it in OT. I mean they just destroyed the Sharks. Outside of a couple shifts the Sharks had nothing. I was getting worried because Talbot spent most of it just standing there, watching the play at the other end of the rink.

DD came through. I’m a huge Lander fan, but right there? DD was the right man, at the right time.. in the right place. He played fairly well all game and he deserves a lot of credit.

So does Drai; pretty poor series from him until this game.

Nuge was the player who most impressed me, though. The teen just did everything he could. Keon would be proud.

Also; guaranteed at least a game seven. Think about that. After wandering the desert for so long.. the worst that happens is we lose in 7 to the team that went to the Cup final last year.

Not bad.

Team has a lot of shit to sort out (game four!.. and game one.. and parts of this game), but they’re young. They’ll learn. They’ll grow (even Nuge!).

Tipping point: DD first 5 minutes speeding up the ice with no helmet, hair flowing behind him – channeling the great Guy Lafleur. We all knew right then that this was going to be a special game for him.

It is something they’ve been good at all year. Even the media has caught it. The Oilers have been very good at bouncing back, especially from games where they took a shit on the ice and get wedgies from the beer leaguers.

It is very nice to see and a key part of the vaunted turn north we had all dreamed about (and LT had preached would arrive).

Younger Oil: Even if the next two games don’t go our way, this game is so fucking significant for this team.
Went out after a 7-0 loss, came back from two down, and guaranteed at least one more home game.
So incredibly impressive.

Outside of the first ten minutes and the early oiler goal this is exactly the flip side of game one… San Jose with a two goal lead, then dominated the rest of the game by the oilers and lost in overtime

ashley:
Tipping point: DD first 5 minutes speeding up the ice with no helmet, hair flowing behind him – channeling the great Guy Lafleur.We all knew right then that this was going to be a special game for him.

We had the exact same thought when it happened. Wait, is that Lafleur?

Banned for talking about friends point of view.
friends who have given and done more for this country than 35,151,000 of its citizens including you and me will ever do.

I want an honest game in my country!

You threatened other posters here.

I have Bosnian and Serbian friends as well, and they are very dear to me (they are all mostly non-violent and the kindest and most compassionate people you’ll ever meet, as they know they cost of violence).

I would never use them nor my own violent tendencies to verbally attack and threaten other posters here in such a manner.

This might sound dumb, but that Nuge chance in OT not going in might have been a blessing.

An extra 10 minutes of domination will really help this team’s confidence, and there would have likely been a lengthy offside review that would have taken away a lot of momentum had it been called back.

Younger Oil:
This might sound dumb, but that Nuge chance in OT not going in might have been a blessing.

An extra 10 minutes of domination will really help this team’s confidence, and there would have likely been a lengthy offside review that would have taken away a lot of momentum had it been called back.

My wife had pointed out Pouliot being useless a couple of times during this game (and it was hard to disagree with her) and then I got to point out that he was the guy blocking the goalie’s view in front of the net for the game winner. That was fun :}

I called for a Klefbomb a few minutes before the goal and he sure delivered! Wowzers.

Schlemko… Dammit, I’ve always liked that guy. Should’ve traded Ference for him and Martinook like in that dream I had years ago.

Boedker can just screw off though. Really. *remembering hat trick he had against Oilers*

They panned to Gretzky late in the game and he had his serious face on. It gave me chills. Any time I’ve ever seen that face in Edmonton, something good has happened. Oilers pretty much had to win at that point.

Brandon who? Desharnais forever!! ahaha.. Well not quite. A feather in Chiarelli’s hat tonight, for sure.

Yes I have it too. Started out as a flu/cold over six weeks ago and just doesn’t go away. Maybe Drai was affected by same bug. I certainly know it drains you. My doctor says a really good strain went around this year twice. But the dry cough just lingers and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Tonight’s hero comes from that Canadiens mould. Amazing in 2017 Montreal doesn’t value these French players – this coming from a fan who witnessed the Tambellini rebuild with RNH, Gagner, Hall, Eberle and Justin Schultz. And Yakupov. That’s Nail Yakupov.

My wife caught a play where Benning had gone behind a Shark to play him on the boards and put his stick in front. She says isn’t that holding? If he had the puck the Shark would have gone straight to the net or drawn a penalty.

I noticed Benning pulling back on him in quick yanks, and the way that sequence went it looked an awful lot like a dog mounting and dry humping your leg. He’ll learn.

For me the story of the game was that a lot of Oilers got better as the game went on. I think it was the key, and they got their legs going and I think the SJ vets were gassed by OT.

Some Oilers were really not playing well until mid 2nd to me. I also thought DD should have sat the game – he must have heard us. He also must have said something to Cassie Campbell before his interview as she was telling him she was way older than him as it switched away, had a ‘hey buddy’ tone to it. OT winner adrenalin or something.

Spengler: We had the exact same thought when it happened. Wait, is that Lafleur?

Mini Guy.

No one needs to come and apologize for wanting to put him in the pressbox. He earned that criticism. But we can all see that there is some value there now. However, let’s not get carried away and start calling him an elite, complete player like our boy Kassian has become.

No one needs to come and apologize for wanting to put him in the pressbox.He earned that criticism.But we can all see that there is some value there now.However, let’s not get carried away and start calling him an elite, complete player like our boy Kassian has become.

Agree, but you also want to develop the reputation as Edmonton being a place to go to repair broken careers(at knock down cost to Chiarelli).